Carrot Top Pesto with Roasted Carrots

Each day that I check on my garden, I am amazed by the abundance of greens that have taken over the boxes.  I am currently enjoying multiple types of lettuces, chard, kale, peas, radishes, and carrots.  As much as I love a fresh garden salad, I don’t feel like salad every day.  So when I pulled a nice big bunch of short and sweet carrots the other day, I figured I should try something new with the carrot tops.

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Carrot greens can be used the same way you’d use any herb.  For this recipe, I used the carrot greens in place of basil for a carrot top pesto.  I also roasted the carrots and then served everything with pasta and toasted sourdough bread.

I started off by washing all of my carrots thoroughly. Next, I removed the tops and added them to my food processor along with a few cloves of garlic, some italian cheese, and a little salt and pepper.

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Attach the cover of food processor and drizzle olive (or grapeseed) oil into processor with the motor running.  Stop adding oil once a nice, smooth consistency is reached.20150508_13565820150508_134659

Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and toss carrots with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Broil in the oven for about 15 minutes, tossing every 5 minutes, until they brown and soften a bit.

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Serve pesto, cheese, and sliced carrots on top of toasted bread or tossed with your favorite pasta.

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